


It won't be the same

by pilvenpiirtaja



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Gen, akaashi keiji&bokuto koutaro, final match
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 07:40:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6508972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pilvenpiirtaja/pseuds/pilvenpiirtaja
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The ball hit the court with a loud thump.<br/>The referee blew his whistle.<br/>It was the match point.<br/>For Nekoma.<br/>The game was over.<br/>They had lost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	It won't be the same

**Author's Note:**

> Hello ^^ I've had this headcanon for Bokuto's and Akaashi's reactions after their final game together, so I ended up writing a thing. I hope you enjoy ^^

**It won't be the same**

 

The ball hit the court with a loud thump.

The referee blew his whistle.

It was the match point.

For Nekoma.

The game was over.

They had lost.

On the other side of the court, the team clad in red was celebrating.

Akaashi was afraid to look up, he did not want to face what had happened.

Fukurodani had lost.

They had lost.

To Nekoma.

The same Nekoma they beat in the preliminaries.

Their friends. 

Both teams had played well. The match had gone to the final set, both teams appeared to have an equal chance of winning. Bokuto had kept his cool the whole match, he had not self-destructed, not for a single rotation. Fukurodani was in a good shape, they had all they needed to win the match.

And still, they lost.

Komi and Akaashi had dived for the last hit. The ball had bounced back to their side of the court from Kuroo’s block.  Even though they knew how good Nekoma’s blocks were, they had managed to save quite a few of the many blockouts during the match, they had still failed to get the one that mattered. Akaashi had failed to get the one that mattered.

“Teams, line up!” the referee called.

Akaashi was still lying on the court, hand extended for the ball he had not been able to reach. If he had just reacted a bit faster he would have been able to save it, the match could have ended differently. If he had saved the ball, they would be the ones going against Karasuno.

A hand reached for Akaashi’s.

“Hey hey hey”. The greeting was not the usual, loud and enthusiastic shout Akaashi was accustomed to. The sound was soft, quiet, caring. “We need to line up, can you get up?”

Akaashi nodded without raising his gaze and allowed the captain to pull him up, following him to where the rest of the team was waiting. He could not meet the eyes of his teammates, he kept his head low. It was not the first loss Akaashi had faced with the team, with his captain. The problem was, it was the last.

Their tournament was over. Their journey ended in the quarter-finals. Nekoma would go on and get their match against Karasuno in the semi-finals. That was one of the reasons Nekoma was so loud with their celebration, besides getting vengeance on Fukurodani for their loss in the preliminaries.

Nekoma’s next match would be the long-awaited Battle of the Garbage Heap.

As he looked over to the opposing team, Akaashi wished he could be happy for his friends getting their fight. He had heard Kuroo and Sawamura discuss their legendary rivalry during the training camps many times. They deserved to get their match, both Nekoma and Karasuno had worked hard to get the chance to fight against each other in the Nationals.

But Fukurodani had worked just as hard to get their chance. For a chance to win the nationals, to play one more game, to have their final chance with this team to fight for victory. Go on until the very end.

They shook hands with their opponents. That’s a first, Akaashi thought as he saw a small smile on Kozume’s face. A smile that vanished as quickly and unexpectedly as it had appeared, to be replaced with the usual bored look Kozume always sported. Akaashi could not shake the irony of that smile, in their previous match he had been the one to wear one, though not completely for the same reasons. Kozume was pleased he had defeated Akaashi, he was sure, but the smile was for the chance to fight Karasuno, fight Hinata, on an official court. Had Nekoma’s next match not been against Karasuno, Akaashi doubted Kozume would have been visibly excited.

After the handshakes Akaashi followed his captain to thank the audience. It was the final time he would not have to be the one to do so. Next year, the duty to hold the team together after a loss would fall to Akaashi. Not that he did not already have some practice with holding the team up, with an unpredictable ace and a captain Akaashi would sometimes have to lead them through the rougher spots as well. But he knew all of his captain’s quirks, he knew how to pull him back from his slumps. Even with Bokuto’s slumps, the captain had always managed to stay in good spirits when the things got tough. A reliable ace who would always have his back. Not anymore.

Then, it was time to go. The next team had already appeared at the edge of the court, waiting for their chance get through to the semifinals, full of energy and ready to fight. For Fukurodani, all there was left to do was to gather their belongings and leave.

 

* * *

 

The mood in the changing rooms was solemn. No-one had said anything while they changed. A sadness lingered over the group, but no-one was crying any more. All the tears of the third-years had been shed right after the match, left on the court.

Akaashi could not meet their eyes.

Bokuto cleared his throat. As the team turned to their captain, he started “I’m not that good with inspirational speeches, but I want to say something. You fought well. We fought well. It can’t be helped, Nekoma was simply better this time around. You all have to avenge us the next year, eh?”

A few chuckles rang in the room.

“Bokuto’s right, next year you will destroy those cats”, Sarukui smiled to his kouhai.

“And we’ll be there watching and cheering you on”, Komi promised as the other third-years voiced their agreements.

 As the agreeing murmurs grew quiet, Bokuto continued, looking around the room. “Don’t be too hard on yourselves. We didn’t lose because of a single player, we fell together as a team”. For a moment, Bokuto’s eyes lingered on Akaashi, who still had not lifted his gaze. “Losing sucks. But I want you all to remember, we made it to the top eight in the tournament. Now, we should get going, the coaches are probably waiting for us by the buss.”

With that, the mood shifted, light conversations started flowing in the room as the players gathered their belongings while sending worrying glances at their usually collected setter, who had not moved from his spot.  They shared one last look with their captain before finally leaving the room in small groups.

Only Akaashi and Bokuto were left behind.

 

* * *

 

Akaashi could feel Bokuto’s eyes on him.

He could hear the shuffling of the captain’s shoes as he approached the bench the setter was occupying, the rustling of his clothes as he kneeled down before the setter.

“Akaashi”, the voice was soft, just as it had been on the court. “Please look at me.”

Reluctantly, Akaashi met the pair of golden, worried eyes.

“You do know it wasn’t your fault we lost? No-one could’ve saved that final block, not even the world’s best libero.”

“Bokuto-san, you are exaggerating. I am certain the world’s best libero could have picked the ball from a high schooler’s block.” Akaashi did not recognize his voice. He had tried to deliver the line with his usual deadpan manner, but he heard his voice cracking. “You do not have to worry, Bokuto-san. I know we did not lose because of a single play. I just…”

He took in a deep breath, averting his eyes.

“…I just wish it did not have to end like this, the game, the tournament. The team. I wanted to play with you one more time, I wanted to win the Nationals with this team, with you. I know I still have the next year but it will not be the same, the team will not be the same, I-“, Akaashi’s voice grumbled. He only realized he was crying when Bokuto swiped away the tears from his cheeks.

“I know, ‘kaashi, I know”, Bokuto mumbled. “I want to play with you again as well. There’s still time before we graduate, we can still practice with you guys.”

Akaashi sniffled. “But it won’t be the same.”

“I know… But it’s all we’ve got, for now.” Bokuto pulled the younger boy to a hug.

It was not his usual bone-crushing hug, fueled by his endless energy on the court. It was a warm and gentle, a caring embrace. Akaashi hid his face to the older’s shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent.

After he had calmed down, Akaashi finally pulled away. “Thank you, Bokuto-san”, he simply said as he rose to his feet. “We should get going, the team is probably waiting for us.”

“Yeah, you’re right, the coach is probably pissed.” Bokuto chuckled. “But worry not, I shall take the blame for this delay.”

A small smile fought its way to Akaashi's lips. “The coach would not believe it was my fault even if you told him so.”

“Akaashi!”


End file.
